Apparatus for aerating wort and improving the quality of yeast.



No. 692,|70. Patented lan. 28, |902.

M. WALLERSTEIN & H. H. FREUND. APPARATUS F05' AERATING WORT AND IMPROVING THE .QUALITY 0F YEAST.

(Application led May 23, 1901.) (No Model.)

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figa- Wl TNE SSE S NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MAX WALLERSTEIN AND TIANS H. FREUND, NETV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR AERATING WORT AND iMPROVING THE QUALITY-0F YEAST.

`SIEECIlEIGA'JJION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,170, dated January 28, 1902.

Application filed May 23, lQl.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, MAX W ALLERs'rEIN and HANS I-I. FREUND, subjects of the Emperor of Germany, ahd residents of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Aerating Wort and Improving the Quality of Yeast, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to apparatus for aerating Wort during fermentation and improving the quality of yeast, and has for its object to provide an apparatus of this class by the use of which wort is aerated with filtered air in any desired quantity during fermentation and yeast of healthy growth and great purity is obtained. To this end we employ an apparatus constructed substantially as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

Figure lis a side elevation of a vat provided with our improvements, and Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation of the air-admission device and the part of the vat to which it is ap plied.

A represents a vat of the usual ,construction. Adjacent to the bottom B the vat has a lateral opening, into which fits or screws the inner end C of a cock-casing C. This casing is provided with a vertical bore orseat for a conical plug or key D, having a handle Dand a suitable arrangement for obtaining a tight joint, and has a nut E, screwing on a stem D2 of the plug and abutting against a head .or washer F at the bottom of the casing C. At the side farthest from the vat the casing has a single passage C2, adaptedl to register, according to the position of the plug D, with either of two superposed ports D3 D4 in said plug. Between the plug and the vat the casing has two passages C3 C4, arranged to register with the ports D3 D4, respectively. The upper passage C3 has its inner oriceof the same size as its bore. The lower passage C4 has at its inner end a nipple G, projecting into the vat `A and screw-threaded to receive `for the growth Vof the yeast.

serial No. 61,536. (No model.)

a cap H, provided with aseries ofsmall apertures H', preferably converging inwardly.

At its outer end the casing C is provided with a seat for a connecting-nipple I, having a shoulder against which a washer J is pressed by means of a cap K, screwing on the outer end of the casing. The nipple Iis connected by a rubber tube L or equivalent means with a similar nipple l', held by a washer J and cap K against a seat in a casing llLwhich screws into a union N, connecting two pipesections O. These sections form part of a pipe connected with a supply of filtered air.

When the Wort has been pitched with the necessary quantity of yeast, the cock D' is first turned into the position shown by full lines in Fig. 2, so that a relatively solid jet of air will be discharged into the wort in an amount suiiicient to thoroughly mix the wort and yeast and to supply the oxygen necessary The rousing `is continued until the wort and yeast have been well mixed.

lWhen a white scum or foam appears on the surface of the liquid and the yeast is in a vigorous state of fermentation, the `cock D is turned, so as to cause air to pass through the lower port D4 to the passage C4 and apertures Il'. In this position the cock is left from two to three hours or longer, according to the quality of the yeast and the character of the beer.

As the quantity of air introducemd is very small, it is possible to aerate the Wort even when the yeast is in `vigorous fermentation, which, although of great importance, has been impossible hitherto, since the wort would overiiow in sucha case.

With our apparatus the air is introduced so gradually and the quantity so limited and its flow is so easily regulated that the drawback mentioned above is avoided. As the aeration of the wort by means of our apparatus is well Within control and moderate, an overaeration, causing thinness of character and deficiency in fiavor and aroma of beer, is prevented.

The advantages of our treat ment are as follows: The yeast-crop is increased and a very healthy' vigorous yeast of great purity is obtained. The time of fermnentation is shortened from two to three days. The beer clarilies quicker and better, so that the use of fining may be omitted and the quantity of chips reduced. Besides, the quantity ot nitrogeuous substances isreduced, and therefore a beer of better-keeping quality results. Most remarkable is, furthermore, the White color of the yeast.

Altogether a considerable saving of time, labor, and money is effected by our apparatus.

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An aerating-faucet for fermenting-vats, comprising a easing adapted for connection with the vat and with a supply of air, said casing having two passages leading toward the vat, one of said passages having a relatively large inner orice, and the other a plurality of small orifices, and a movable plug having ports adapted to connect the air-supply with one or the other of said passages.

2. An aerating-faucet for fermenting-vats, comprising a casing having a plugseat and adapted to be secured to the vat, the casing having a single passage leading outward from the plug-seat and adapted for connection with an air.supply, and two passages leading inward from the plug-seat toward the vat, one of the said inward passages having a rela'- tively large orifice at the vat end, and the other a plurality of small orifices, and a plug mounted to turn on said plug-seat and having two ports adapted to connect the outward passage with one or the other of the inward passages.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specilication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MAX VALLERSTEIN. HANS- H. FREUND. Witnesses:

JOHN LoTKA, JNO. M. RITTER. 

